Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-08-24
raE coNsoLIDATRD DEPOT.

increased
Last Fem Years-TmprOvements Made
and More Likely to Followed Bevy
of Clerks ON the Top FIOOr-RIard
Worked Omcfals.
Between New York and Boston there is no
more substantial, palatial or more inviting
depot than the one which the Consolidated
road has at it's station in this city. It is a
model of convenience in almost every way.
The company occupies the entire building
and no outside tenants are admitted to the
building now, as the business of the road is
such that it demands it.
The depot is situated in a pleasant and
comfortable place. It faces the harbor and
gets all the cool breezes from that direction.
The tracks directly beyond the depot between
it and the waters edge are clearly and nicely
kept, for workmen are busy at all times in
picking up and carrying away all loose things
which find their way on the tracks. The
street in front of and those running away
from the depot are well paved and seldom
dirty. The depot is handsome, substantial
structure, built Of brick, and is three stories
high, It Is q building such as New Haven
should be proud of, for it is destined to
aid many scheme which will in some way
or other be of great help and benefit to this
city.
of May, that the New York, New Haven and
Hartford railroad company changed its depot
location from Chapel street, where the City
market now stands in all the glory of that old
and shaky structure, to where it has ever
since remained. Then the business OF the
road was almost all done in New York.
There were no officials who had an Office in
| the old depot. Vice President Reed, also
general superintendent at that time, had an
Office in the Masonic Temple just across the
1 road from the depot, as did also Paymaster
Hemstead. John T. Moody, superintendent
of the New York division, did, however, have
little Office over Mitchell's news store. The
| business of the road was on the up grade and
was going up SO rapidly that it necessitated
larger depot, depot where modern con-
veniences could be had and where more
| room would also be available.
The work was commenced in '75. 1t took
nearly two years to finish 1t. The
| building was a large one, and it
was built in such way that
| it would take an unusually long
time to erect it, for all of the material was of
the best and the work in the hands of the
most skilled workmen. 1t has very wide
front-one hundred and eighty feet-and
runs back seventy feet. You enter the depot
by two large doors, which are some distance
apart. One of the first things that greets the
eye is the restaurant in the center of the
large room, surrounded by railing to which
the thousands of travellers sit down each
week to be fed in hurried manner by pref
ty misses and young men. They are on the
hurry constantly. The ceilings are support
ed upon polished pillars with imposing caps
and bases The walls are we'll kept and in
many of the places are placed various time
tables framed which are eagerly surrounded
by the travelling public much of the time,
studying at which hour they can leave
4ha oft ka
places.
Superintendent Shepard wore his usual
smile yesterday. He was asked about the
addition to the north end of the depot. The
business of the road has been increasing to
such an extent that the advisability of build
ing this addition had been talked of.
EtIt has not been decided yet" said the SUI
perintendent.
The addition now being completed to the
south end makes the depot somewhat longer
than it was. This is built on the same SUBJ
stantiality as the rest of the building.
With its iron safes. its thick walls, its iron
Orders and its polished Office, the treasurer
of the road will have both comfortable and
safe place to stay in.
Then of late the third floor has been thrown
open and Offices put in. This floor has been
occupied solely by Chief Engineer T. S. Cur
tbs and his corps of workers. The floor now
has passageway clear through from one
end of the building to the other. The walls
and ceilings are whitened. The woodwork
is we'll polished and clearly shows that it is
new All the rooms on this floor are not
occupied. The freight clerks occupy two
on the side fronting the water and the comp
troller's clerks two more. The latter is an
Office lately created, as the business of the
road demanded it. While the clerks are up
stairs the freight agent and comptroller stay
on the second floor. In the north end of the
building, facing the Derby depot, is
the chief engineers Office. The work in this
department. is not what it was some
time ago. Everybody is in a hurry now.
Never in the history of the road has there
be done. This is at present the busiest de-
partment. New bridges, new depots, new
crossings and the four tracking are taking
their attention. Chief Engineer Curtis is
now one of the hardest worked men at the
depot He and President Clark are in daily
conference over some new plan for the bet
terment of the road. 1t is President Clark's
intention to make the Consolidated one of
the best equipped roads in the country.
On the second floor Superintendent Water
bury's Office has been improved to a cousid-
cradle extent, and the clerks are now safe
from the disturbance of outsiders,
who are kept back by large
upright railing which gives the
clerks more room. Ike Bromley, the
advertising agent for the road, can be seen
any day skylarking around midst a lot of
papers. He is always at home doing this |
work.
Soon all the officials will be located in New
Haven. Gradually have they been brought |
to this city, until at last we have them all. |
The depot will in all probability have to be
enlarged in time. When the small trees in |
the triangular park in front of the depot get |
grown up the depot here will be one of the |